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Wolves lose heartbreaker to Thunderbirds

An interception returned for a touchdown in the fourth quarter followed by a 28-yard touchdown run by the Iola-Scandinavia Thunderbirds doomed the Manawa Wolves to a 12-19 loss on Friday, Oct. 1.

Manawa was behind 7-6 at halftime, with their only first half score coming on a 30-yard pass completion from David Sell to Jestin Heimbruch. The two-point conversion failed.

Manawa took the lead in the third quarter on a 26-yard run by Jestin Heimbruch, and carried a 12-7 advantage into the final period, where Iola scored twice to steal a win from the Wolves.

Manawa tallied 361 total yards, gaining 267 through the air. Two interceptions and seven penalties for 57 yards hurt the Wolves.

Jestin Heimbruch caught five passes for 95 yards and a touchdown, while Austin Mann caught eight balls for 125 yards.

“We had a Brett Favre moment at the end of the game,” said Coach Bob Sell. “We just needed to have a sustained drive and run some clock off, and then on third and 5, we threw a slant to the outside, the receiver bobbled it, and a defender intercepted it and ran in for touchdown.

“We played a harder-nose game this time around. We played a number of freshmen, including Brady Clary, Alec Ferg, Casey Johnson, and Garrett Griffin. Sophomores Brandon Bartel, Alex Thompson, Wes Krause, Logan Hass, Donnie Sell and Aaron Strebe also got some experience,” commented Sell. “The seniors had to pick it up also, as many were hurt or not feeling well. The underclassmen stepped up, but the game was still a little fast for them.

“We can keep our heads up, because we played a good football game,” Sell concluded. “I mentioned to the kids that we have to start exerting our will. The players say the Lord’s Prayer before each game, and this week we talked after the game about going out there against Bonduel this week to teach and give lessons on the field. We’ve learned enough-it’s time for these kids to start exerting their will against their opponents.”

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